Crimping device for bottle-capping machines



Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,489

E. NORDSTROM CRIMPING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 25 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. NORDSTROM CRIMPING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE, CAPPING MACHINES Fil ed Aug. 25. 1919 s Sheets-Sheet 2 if Z 28 r i .5. 7 T a K5 i v \25 Q g if Q \50 Oct. 30, 1923.

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UNITED STATES 1,472,489 PATENT orrica ELOF NORDSTROM, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN DAN BOTTLE SEAL CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CRIMPING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINES.

Application filed August 25, 1919. Serial No. 319,610.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELOF NoRnsTnoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crimping Devices for Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle capping machines and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby the clinching operation on the cap is controlled by the cap-applying plunger. One of the objects of the resent invention is to provide improved bott e capping mechanism which may be adapted to effect a prelimiary crimping of a cap for holdin it in position during its movement roin a relatively high speed capapplying mechanism operating separately on a succession of bottles to acrimping mechanism operating on groups of said bottles, for example, as shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,212,665 granted in my name on Jan. 16, 1917. Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, reference hein had to the accompanying drawings whish show my invention in a preferred embodment, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, parts being broken away and parts shown in section; 2

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, Showing the parts in changed positions;

Figure 4; is a section on the line 44, Fig

ure 2; t

Figure 5 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the invention, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the upper portion of Figure 5, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77, Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, a bearing 1 which depends from a portion 2 of the machine frame, serves to journal a vertical shaft which carries at its lower end a rotary" plate or table 3. Said plate or table is provided with cap-holding sockets 4 which preferably constitute cap forming dies in which metal blanks are shaped. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each cap holder or die is adapted to carry a cap 5 with oppositelyprojecting lobes or wings 6 extending partly across holes 7 in the rotary plate or table 3, said holes being provided to accommodate the passage of crimping elements which are presently to be" described. As shown'in Figure l,' a power transmitting connecting rod 8 is pivotally connected at 9 with one arm 10 of a bent lever which is fulcrumed at 11. provided with a substantially U-shaped forward end as shown in Figure 3, each branch of the U being bifurated toformt spaced bearing lugs 13. Said bearing lugs are provided with slots or openings 14 for mounting co'axially arranged pins 15 upon which are pivotally mounted the lower ends of the parallel arms 16 of a cross-head or frame 17. Reciprocablymounted in the cross-head or frame 17, is :1V rod 18 whichis provided on its upper'end with an ad- 'ustable abutment in the form of nuts 19 for limiting itsedownward displacement withrespect to the cross-head or frame 17. Interposed between the cross-head or frame 17 and a shoulder or collar 20 on the rod 18, is a compression'spring 21 which tends to retain the rod 18 in depressed position with respect to cross-head or frame 17. Secured to the rod 18 is a plunger 22 reciprocably mounted in guides 50,v50, and to the lower end of which is adjustably connected a capapplying head 23. During the downward movementof the cross-head or frame 17, the head 23 is adaptedto displace a cap 5 from the die or socket which holds it down on to the neck 24 of a. bottle disposed to receive the cap. Arranged on opposite sides of plunger 22 according to Figures 2 andt3, are-crimping elements 25 which depend from the cross-head or frame 17, being yieldably The other arm 12 of said lever is depremed with respect to said cross-head by lower ends of crimping elements 25 are suitably connected to the lunger 22 in such a way that a. downward displacement of these crimping elements with respect to said plunger will operate to impart a cap crimping movement to said crimping elements. For this purpose, on each crimping element, is mounted a block 29 which carries a pin 30. A pair of links 31 (see Figure 4) have their outer ends pivotally mounted on pin 30, their inner ends being pivotally mounted on a pin 32 carried by the plunger 22.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, the oscillatory lever 35 is connected to the laterally spaced arms 36 of the cross-head or frame 37 which drives the relatively movable plunger 38 within guides 55, 55, thru an interposed resilient medium in the form of a compression spring 39. In this embodiment of my invention, there are four crimping elements which are circularly arranged with respect to the plunger 38, each of said crimping elements being yieldably driven to their work thru the intermedium of a compression spring 41. Mounted on the plunger 38 is a spider 42, on the radially projecting arms of which, are pivotally mounted pairs of links 43, their outer ends being pivotally connected to the several crimping elements and adapted, when the downward movement of the plunger 38 is interrupted, to draw the crimping elements inwardly for the crimping action. While the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, is more especially intended for imparting preliminary crimping action on acap which afterwards has the crimping operation perfected by another device such for example as that shown in the above identified U. S. Patent No. 1,212,665, the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 8-inclusive, is designed to completely crimp a cap to a bottle by a single operation. The operation however, in similar for both operations. Thus referring more especially to Figures 2 and 3, as plunger 22 descends it displaces the cap 5 from its socket or die 4 and is brought to rest by the bottle which is being capped. Until said plunger is brought to rest, the crimping elements accompany the plunger in their 'rela tive positions shown in Figure 2. As soon as the head 23 has come to rest with the cap 5 in place upon the bottle, the pressure applied to the cap is built up by the compression of spring 21. During this time, the crimping elements come into engagement with the lobes or wings 6 of cap 5 and as they'swing'inwardly toward the neck of the bottle, into the position shown in Figure the cap is clinched. It will be understood from this description that the crimping action is not initiated until after the plunger has been brought to rest and inasmuch as there is only a definite amount of movement imparted to the crimping elements after the plunger has been brought to rest, the pressure is readily regulated for bottles of varying lengths and sizes. Thus, the duration of the clinching movements will be substantially the same for long and short bottles which have necks of like diameter since these movements only begin after the-head 23 has been brought to rest.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, a power driven cross-head, a cap-applying plunger reciprocable in said crosshead and provided with means for yieldably resisting such reciprocablc movement, crimping elements recipro-aablc in said cross head under yield-able pressure. and links articulately connecting said crimping elements to said plunger for converting reciprocating movements into inwardly deflected crimping movements after the plunger has been arrested by the vessel to be capped.

2. In a machine of the character described. means for holding a cap, a cap-applying plunger for displacing a cap therefrom on to a bottle, cap crimping elements yield-ably connected to said cap-applying plunger, and links capable of imparting a crimping action to the crimping elements during a relative movement between the plunger and the crimping elements.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a table provicdd with a cap-holding socket movable into and out of position above the neck of a bottle, a member movable toward and way from said cap-holding socket in such position,a cap- .applying plunger yieldably connected to said member, cap-clinching elements carried by said member, and means for connecting said cap-clinching elements to said plunger, said connecting means moving said capclinching elements into cap clinching positionsduring their movement towards the neck of the bottle and out of Sikh positions during their movement away from said bottle.

4. In a device of the character described, a cross-head movable towards and away from a cap-holding socket, a plunger yieldably connected to said cross-head to adapt it to exert a yieldable sealing pressure on a capped bottle, crimping elements reciprocable with and relatively to said cross-head, and means swingingly connecting the crimping elementsto said plunger whereby said crimping elements are drawn into crimping engagement with the cap on a bottle by a relative reciprocatory movement with respect to said plunger after the latters movement is arrested by said bottle.

ELOF NORDSTROM, 

